Tips on Taking Interesting Pictures of the Eiffel Tower

I remember hearing once that there was a poll many years ago which asked people to name any place in the world they’d choose as a meeting point with someone they might not know, and the Eiffel Tower won in a landslide. It’s an iconic structure, easily recognized from almost any angle, whether you’ve actually seen it in person or not. And while getting a photograph of the Eiffel Tower is no problem whatsoever, capturing such a well-known monument in a way that’s a little different from everyone else’s pictures can be a big problem.

The truth is that although the Eiffel Tower is an interesting shape, and it’s possible to photograph it from several points around the city, it’s very difficult to get an original picture of the Eiffel Tower. Now, you may not be able to figure out an angle on the Tower that no one else has ever thought of before, but I think these interesting Eiffel Tower pictures might just inspire you to take a few extra shots of the famous Parisian landmark before you put the camera away.

I’ve grouped these Eiffel Tower photographs in a few categories which may help you take your own interesting photos on your trip to Paris.

Focus on Just One Part of the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is instantly recognizable when you see the whole thing, but if you focus on just one particular aspect of it you can either completely disguise what you’re photographing or at least make the viewer think for a moment before they guess what’s in the picture.

Take Pictures of the Eiffel Tower from the Eiffel Tower

These are perhaps some of the most interesting pictures of the Eiffel Tower on this page, because the vast majority of the pictures of the tower are taken from the ground – while the vast majority of the pictures taken from the tower are taken of the view. Turn the camera around when you’re actually on the tower, and you’ve got yourself a totally different perspective. (Warning: A couple of these may give you the heebie jeebies, if you’re at all afraid of heights – like I completely am.)

Capture the Eiffel Tower as a Reflection

Paris is a big city, and there are buildings around the Eiffel Tower with windows – so you can often see the tower without actually facing it just by seeing its reflection. Or, as you can see below, you can create your own reflection in something like sunglasses. The last picture isn’t a reflection, but it’s not really the tower, either – so I’m including it here.

Get Up Close and Personal with the Eiffel Tower

Perhaps the easiest way to photograph the Eiffel Tower in a way that isn’t your standard “portrait-style framing of the whole tower from the opposite side of the Champ de Mars” is to get right up close to the tower and then fill the frame with the tower. It’s still obvious what the subject is, but it can be a more interesting picture because you get some of the texture of the tower itself as well as an idea of the height and scale.

Put the Eiffel Tower in Context

As mentioned, the Eiffel Tower is just one monument in a big European city – so getting a picture that gives the viewer a sense of the city around the famous landmark can be an interesting way to give them a feel for the city itself. As the photographer, of course, you have control over the environment they see – whether it’s the Eiffel Tower between buildings, or from the grassy fields of the Champ de Mars.